Cold Comfort Farm

An orphaned young socialite is on a mission to sort out her dysfunctional farming family in a fundraising am dram show at Sheringham Little Theatre.

Would-be writer Flora Poste is pitched into the eccentric world of the Starkadders including a religious fanatic father, a womanising son, and reclusive aunt hidden in an upstairs room who only descends to count the family members.

The comedy parody of romanticised rural life, set in 1930s rural Sussex, sees Flora meet the family, friends and workers in the village of Howling intent on solving their many problems and bucolic chaos with her modern urban common sense.  

It is being staged by the Little Theatre Players on March 26-29 with a 23-strong cast in settings ranging from a cowshed to a church and some cameo appearances from water voles and a tricycle.

Experienced director Hazel Martin said: ”I think this is the funniest play I’ve ever directed, thanks to the plot surprises and strong characters.”

Lead roles see Anna Ryan as Flora, Nick Bird as the father Amos, Philippa Baillie as his wife Judith, and Janet Hignett as Aunt Ada, with other cast members including Ben Sayers as Reuben, Zak Register as Seth, Paris Mullen as Rennett, Attia Law as Elfine, Tony Waeland as Urk, and Mike Quenby as Adam.

Anna from Norwich, who recently had lead roles in the group’s Wyrd Sisters and Canterville Ghost productions,  said playing Flora was “incredible fun” because of the contrast between her London socialite background and the rural quirkiness of the Starkadders, adding “sometimes I have no idea what they are talking about!”

The show is a stage adaptation of the comic novel by Stella Gibbons which was also turned into a 1995 film starring Kate Beckinsale, Ian McKellen, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry.

Tickets for the show, which is a fundraising event for the Little Theatre, are available at www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or 01263 822347. 26th to 29th March at 7.30pm with a matinee on 29th March at 2.30pm